


grass blocks

by technotraitor



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Dream Smp, Family Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:15:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28936122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/technotraitor/pseuds/technotraitor
Summary: phil and techno realise that ranboo's enderman habits are becoming more prominent, and that picking up blocks is therapeutic for him. phil finds a similarity between techno as a child and ranboo at that point, and brings it up with techno. they decide to start bringing grass blocks with them when they leave the house, just in case ranboo ever starts to get stressed, turns out it was a good idea.
Relationships: Ranboo & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 1337





	grass blocks

**Author's Note:**

> this was based on a headcanon i created on twitter after ranboo started picking up grass blocks in his stream. this dynamic is strictly platonic, almost like ranboo is a brother to techno and a son to phil. do not ship ranboo wih anyone - he is a minor and has stated i makes him uncomfortable. techno also does not like being shipped. this is only a platonic piece, and all my writings will only be platonic. i dont know why i made it almost 2000 words, it kind of just happened. there may be a few typos or sentences that dont make sense, sorry about that.

when phil first brought ranboo in, the kid moving in next door, techno didn’t know how to feel. last time they invited someone in, it ended with betrayal and heartache for him. but phil was sure ranboo was different. so, techno allowed it.

it didn’t take long for them both to realise ranboo was very different. he was kinder, more than expected. always asking before using something, never stealing, knocking before entering, offering to do things like chores, and always apologising. he even refused to live in their home, building his own instead. it was unexpected, and phil had to give him multiple talks on how to treat them like his friends and not like some sort of superiors. he had to be taught how to stop apologising at any tiny thing, and that took the longest. as much as techno hated to admit it, he took a liking to the enderman hybrid rather quickly, biting back a smile whenever he stumbled into a room. phil picked up on it, grinning fondly whenever he saw the pair interacting. they were glad ranboo had moved in next door, into his little shack.

but it all changed very quickly one day. ranboo had built walls on his home, which were messily thrown together. the floor outside his house looked half-destroyed, like he’d dug it all open and then frantically refilled the holes. he didn’t leave his house that often. and when they knocked, he didn’t answer.

it was concerning and rather frightening. multiple times phil had talked through the door, only to get a shuffle in reply. they knew ranboo sat against the door whenever they talked to him, they could hear his breathing and the shuffle of his legs. they never told him they knew he was there. not even when he began to leave the house again.

the first time they saw it, techno had just returned from the nether. phil was inside, supposedly making food like he said he would be. and there stood ranboo, behind their house. he was crouched down, stroking a bunny that hopped his way. a fond smile was on his face. though, techno couldn't help the notice the red blotches of burnt skin under his eyes, or the small scratches that ran up his legs and arms. he didn’t mention it as he walked over. looking up from the bunny, ranboo stood straight. “hello!” he greeted with a wave.

techno offered the taller teenager a smile. “hey.” he looked to the ranboo, to the dirt block he had just noticed he was clutching in his hand. pointing down to it he frowned. “whats with the grass?”

looking down at his hand, ranboo looked surprised when he realised he was holding it. “half enderman.” he pointed to himself, grabbing the block with both his hands. with his eyes locked on it, the teenager smiled and nodded, hugging it to his chest. “it’s relaxing. i started doing it a few days back. it calms my stress.” his face flushed at the admission, suddenly feeling embarrassed. he just admitted he liking picking up blocks and moving it to the most feared anarchist in the entire smp.

techno understood. he was like that with gold for while, being half pigman. after phil found him in the nether when he was younger and took him in, he had a fond liking for gold, always searching the house for a piece, holding it tightly when he did. he grew out of it, yet still found he preferred food like golden carrots over anything. shrugging, techno hummed. “alright.” he drawled, taking ranboo by surprise. “phil is making food. wanna come?”

nodding, ranboo placed the block beside him, muttering a small “here” as he did so. he stared at it silently for a few seconds, before he smiled happily and nodded. “okay, lets go.” he smiled at techno, rushing towards the steps of the home with a bounce in his step.

techno mentally noted down the way ranboo’s happiness tripled when he placed down the block, his entire person becoming more bubbly and excitedly. maybe he should tell phil.

and he did. the same night, while phil and techno sat at the fire, drinking the last of their tea, techno remembered the hybrid sleeping next door. “ranboo is becoming more enderman like.” he broke the silence between them. “earlier today i caught him carrying around blocks and putting them down like an enderman. he said it calms his stress.”

phil’s eyes averted to the home beside theirs, where a light was on inside. and he smiled softly. “i’m glad he’s found something.” he returned his gaze to the fire. “you used to do that as a kid. i started bringing gold with me whenever we left the house. it always shut you up.” he looked over at techno with a teasing look, the pig hybrid rolling his eyes in reply and nodding.

“you’ve told me that story thousands of times.”

the older man laughed under his breath. his mind whirled, correlating the grass and the gold. the two hybrids were so alike, phil was shocked techno hadn’t fully warmed up to him. sometimes talking to ranboo felt like talking to a younger techno. they were scarily similar. phil had noticed that the first time he spoke to ranboo; he’d instantly linked the two together in his mind. “maybe we could do that with ranboo?”

evidently confused, techno looked at phil funnily, not understanding what he meant.

“bring grass blocks with us.” he clarified. “if it calms him down, maybe bringing some with us when we leave the house would be helpful. like what i did with you and gold.” he explained shortly, placing down his mug as he finished with it. it wasn’t a bad idea, it was actually a good one. maybe the enderman would warm up to them, maybe he would finally feel safe around them. because they could tell he still felt fearful and like he was in danger whenever he was around them.

techno didn’t want him to feel like that. if he was living beside them for an unpredicted amount fo time, he should at least feel safe. glancing towards the shack, which had now submerged into darkness, techno smiled and nodded. “yeah. we should.”

so, they did. two days later, they were leaving, having been called into the smp by tubbo. apparently he and tommy wanted to talk to phil and techno before they went off to kill dream, and they’d decided to bring ranboo along with them. they didn’t feel like it was right to leave him behind. phil was packing grass into his inventory when ranboo turned the corner, holding his own block of grass. it made phil smile slightly.

stopping beside them, ranboo hugged the dirt block to his chest, smiling happily at the pair. “so, we’re meeting up with tommy and tubbo?” he asked, slowing his steps as to not walk ahead of them. he did that sometimes without realising, being taller than both of them, he walked at his usual pace and just overtook them.

phil nodded. “they’re fighting dream soon and wanted to talk to us about something before they do.” he shrugged, clearly as clueless as ranboo. 

as they approached the portal, the enderman stopped, making techno and phil do the same, turning to him in confusion. as phil was about to ask why he stopped, he got his answer. ranboo moved a few blocks away, placing down the grass block. silence fell, as he stared at it, tilting his head. whispering a small “grass block”, ranboo turned and nodded, continuing to walk towards the portal.

phil and techno exchanged looks, smiles on their faces, before they hurried after ranboo. 

as they got closer and closer to tommy’s house, their meeting place, they could see ranboo getting more and more anxious. he’d picked up more and more grass blocks, placing them more often and in more random places. the prime path was littered with them. when they got to tommy’s house and the two teens came into sight, rambo froze. tubbo had turned, eyes widening when he saw ranboo - or a traitor to l’manburg, as he knew him. 

glancing back at the frozen teenager, phil acted on dad instinct. he felt like he was back when techno was young, frozen out of fear as he stared at the nether portal. grabbing one of the grass blocks he’d packed, phil offered it out to him with a soft expression.

instantly, ranboo looked down to it, then to phil in confusion. he didn’t want to speak, fearing it would come out as an enderman worble. he did that sometimes when he was anxious or stressed; revert back to his native language. he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of techno and phil.

“it’s for you, mate.” phil nudged it closer to him, smiling reassuringly. “we know how it calms you down. so, take it.”

his heart warmed, shoulders slumping. taking it, he clutched it tightly, making a happy noise as he analysed the grass block. he had never felt so loved before. the grass block felt better then it did when he picked it up. because it came from a friend. and it made him feel happier and warmer than usual. he held the block tight, afraid to let go, until phil told him that both he a techno would always carry a stack each with them. 

techno just shook his head, biting back his smile as he started a conversation with the teenagers.

at one point, ranboo walked off and placed the block down, rushing back over to phil with a hopeful look. and phil just grabbed another and passed it to him. ranboo had never felt so happy.

not even the strange looks from tubbo and tommy could ruin his happiness. he just held the block tightly. each time he get a new one, he made an even happier noise, to the point where phil thought he would just burst. it took tommy and tubbo by surprise when techno smiled widely, offering ranboo one of the blocks he had brought with them. it took them even more by surprise when ranboo snatched it, and techno didn’t seem angry at all.

the whole meeting, ranboo never stopped toying with the blocks his friends had given them.

friends. that's what phil and techno were.

they were his friends.


End file.
